Sri Lanka has to face the UNHRC Session in September 2022 and submit its report on human rights, accountability and justice and other Recommendations mentioned in the UNHRC Resolution 46/1 of March 23, 2021.
This 46/1 Resolution, titled “Promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights,” was adopted by the UNHRC, in Geneva, on March 23, 2021, during the 46th Sessions. By this resolution, a mandate was given to the High Commissioner for Human Rights for initiating a fresh inquiry, outside Sri Lanka, regarding the accountability issues. In this resolution, there is a provision according to which the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights is authorized to take on the role of collecting evidence to be used in such prosecutions in the future.
In the reports submitted by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelot, at the 48th, 49th and 50th Sessions of the UNHRC, she brought the attention of the Sri Lankan government to the concerns of the UNHRC, regarding inadequate progress in the human rights situation, and also the inadequate action taken regarding the investigation of alleged human rights violations, during the last stage of the war.
Since 2012 – Sri Lanka has seen 3 successive Resolutions leading to an investigation by the UNHRC on Sri Lanka (OISL)
Sri Lanka will face bombardment from the High Commissioner of Human Rights as well delegates from the Core Group backed by a plethora of human rights organizations. The line-up will include the Sri Lankan Catholic church which is aggrieved by the inconclusive investigations into the 2019 Easter Sunday blasts which claimed over 260 lives mostly of Catholics praying in churches.
Accountability for the war crimes, crimes against humanity etc. allegedly committed by the war criminals has been totally ignored and discarded allowing the alleged war criminals to roam free and travel without any restraint except for a few security personnel who have been banned from visiting the USA and UK.
At each session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), in Geneva, at which the Post-War Reconciliation Process in Sri Lanka was considered, special attention was drawn to the issue of alleged violation of human rights, and humanitarian law, during the last stage of the war, and also the need for taking remedial steps for improving the human rights situation in Sri Lanka.
Sri Lankan new President Ranil Wickremesinghe has assured the West that he would attend to some of the human rights issues bothering them, and has, in fact, taken some tentative steps, such as de-listing six formerly pro-LTTE Tamil organizations and over 300 individual LTTE supporters. This has been welcomed by the Tamil organizations both at home and overseas. On the international front, he has visibly distanced himself from China, just as China has distanced itself from Sri Lanka by refusing to extend any significant aid to help Sri Lanka to tide over the current economic crisis.
In the report submitted at the 49th sessions, the High Commissioner stated that the OHCHR had already established a “Sri Lanka Accountability Project” and even allocated funds for it. In the report submitted at the 50th Sessions also she referred to this “Accountability Project” outside Sri Lanka, which may have serious consequences as far as Sri Lanka’s relations with leading democratic countries are concerned, especially at a time Sri Lanka is grappling with a very serious economic crisis.
Chinese Ambassador Zhenhong Qi has said China would “continue to support” Sri Lanka in international fora, while slamming countries “far or near” for “bullying” the island nation. China has always been supporting Sri Lanka in the international fora for protecting its sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity. We will continue to do that. In contrast, some countries, far or near, always make various groundless excuses to bully Sri Lanka and trample on Sri Lanka’s sovereignty and independence repeatedly,” Ambassador Qi Zhenhong said in an article for the local portal Sri Lanka Guardian, published subsequently on the Chinese Embassy’s website recently.
Kumarathasan Rasingam – Secretary, Tamil Canadian Elders for Human Rights Org.
